Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-28
RANGERS ASKED FOR.
The County Judge of Starr County
Reveals a Sad State of Affairs
Down on the Rio Grands.
The Governor Appealed to for Rangers
TO Drive Ont Baadits, Outlaws
and Cut.Threats.
Wealthy Rsr chmen Sejzsc and Made 10
Buy Their LibsrIs-fhe Citizens
Afraid to Complain.
A STATE OF LAYLRssNEss.

! Special 10 the Gazette.
| AUSTIN, TEX, Oct. 26.-The Governor
this morning received the following COM
municstion which speaks for itself:
! RIO GRASDE CITY, Oc'. %, 1887.
! To Hon. l.. S. Ross, Coz ernog of Texas, Austin.
! HONORABLE SIR-N1 doubt through
communications, newspapers and other
wise you have already beea to some ex-
| tent informed Of the condition OF our
county. A number of bandits, outlaws
and cutthroats have invaded this COUNTY
robbing and numbering our people S2d
our official force is p0werIess to suppress
| them. Only few weeks since q wealthy
/ stockman was caught on the highway By
| five OF these bandits and taken thence to
! their comrades, in all, twelve men. They
| took from him S4o0 be had with rim aud
then demanded of him S1500 before they
would release him and made him write
! letter to his son TO the effect that if the
money was not psid in so many days nc
WOULD BE KILLED.
The man was held for tWantv-One DAYS
before the money WIS paid. The rancG-
men are in fear CT their lives and the loss
| OF their property. The Sheriff, with e
posse Of men, is IL search OF the bandits,
but he can learn nothing q them,
although it is evident ib2t mary Of those
! from whom he maks5 inquiries Can put
| him on their traiI, but they fear to do SO,
SIS they sometimes confess. They sey If
| they feil they Will be murdered and prob
shy their wives and children robbed
They say IF we should be forced to Kill
| one of their men we would then have the
! law to fear and they have
GOOD REASON THEREFOR.
| 4 few years siuce, ana this is only one
instance out of meny,G ranchman followed
thief who had stolen sew
| ersl head of his horses and
! killed him. He gave himself up, STAYING
/ The tacts, YET he WAS inoic:ed and tried
eud though acquitted, it cost him about
/ $500 and this man too, one of the best
citizsl>s in STAR county. Oaly yesterday
| two prominent merchants here received
anonymous letseys demanding OF one
| $4,000 aud Of the other SIS. 600 to be paid
in fifteen days with
/ THREATS OF HORRIBLE CONsEQUENCES
! in case CT failure 10 5mpiy. Some
rGnchmen ere moving TO towh. Back in
! the county they G1e concentrating
their faInllicE on ere rSDch
| for protection. 1t would consume too
J
give q full statement Of the cond tion of
| affairs and stste OF feeling IN this county.
now, in the name Of tie good people q
my county, appeal to you, the only power
th8t can give Us aid, TO come to cur relief
By any means within your power. l will
however suggest that you send Us two or
three ranger If you cannot send Us more,
with full power TO swear in such re-
Inducements
AS THEY MAY NEED.
We have the men and they ere willing
to enlist until the war is over and until
every one of these thieves is eXtinguished
and the county set free. If the stAte can
not pay am satisfied we can raise suf-
fcient money to pay the extra force. l
will state that the authorities on the
Mexican side are now fully organized and
ready ard willing to do everything in
their power to rid the country OF these
characters, and they ask as
TO DO LIKEWISE,
but we can only Go 1t through your ex-
cellency. Finally, let NE add, that this
will not permit Of delay, but
demands immediate action. I therefore
; most earnestly and respectfully ask that
|. you give this matter your immediate a.
tention and respond in every way within
yodr authority to our relief. Respect
fully submitted,
JAMES LIVINGSTON,
County Judge Ssarr county.
To this letter is appended the follow
J ing:
, We, the undersigned officials and citi-
zens OK Starr county fully approve the
foregoing statement of the county Judge,
. and earnestly request thst the relic!
| therein asked for Will be granted.
W. W, Shely, Sheriff.
| J. R. Monroe, Attorney-at-lsW.
: james ]. Nix, Deputy collector OF Gus
, toms.
! Paul Hess, County surveyor.
: Rafael Aidrete, county commissioner
J J.. TreviEc, merchant.
E. Marks, district clerk.
: K. j. Barbour, county commissioner.
Z. Bl3ck, merchant.
To this letter Governor Ross this morn
ing telegrGphed reply es follows:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
: AUSTIN, TEX, o t. 26, 1887. J
James Livingston, County Judge OF starr Coun
: ty, Rio Grande City, Texas.
. Prior to the receipt of your communal
S cation, which wss the first one reaching
ne from an officisl source, had ordered
G ranger force 70 the
RELIEF OF YOUR PEOPLE.
Rest assured that the full power Of III;
state government will be exercised IL
s your behalf. l.. S. Ross,
n Governor.
Captains Schmit's and jones' comps
:. MES are en- route to the distugbsd dis
y trict, and if necessary they will be rein
Y forced until the people on the border ant
I the United States at Ringgold hsrrsck
J, have ample protection from the Mxicsl
Q bandits.
J. FEARFUL OF BEING EfnsAPED.
. Special to the Gazette. Nd -
. BROWNSVILLE, TEX. i Oct. 926.- tn
+ wealthy merchants at BIO Gyaade CT {
n are IN a state Of terror osing &C ii
+ brutes of Mexico and bandits who deTasa
e of them money or their lives as well as tn
n lives Of their families, all OF which infor
e m.tion is contsineo in the following col
II respondence obtained by your reporte